Hello all, new to this so I apologize for any forum etiquette mistakes in advance.

One day I wake up, turn on my Gaggia Classic, and come back 15 minutes later to find that the machine has not heated at all. Sad day. I turn on the steam function and wait without luck; still no heat.

Yet, and here is the unusual part (which is why I am posting): All lights come on right when I turn on the machine (on/off, brew ready) as well as the ready light when I flip the steam switch. This points me away from the thermofuse being the culprit and makes me wonder about the obvious answer of bad thermostats because both would presumably have to go bad at the same time.

I have a vague memory of perhaps accidentally leaving the machine on with the steam switch flipped for 15-20 minutes the day before I started having this problem. So perhaps there was an issue with the boiler drying up and blowing out the heating element?

I'm planning on acquiring a multimeter to diagnose the problem but I also am unsure about how to actually use one. Any help would be appreciated.

Here are two Gaggia wiring diagrams
The first is the Classic
http://www.gaggiausersgroup.com/index.p ... =page;p=42
The second is a Coffee
http://www.gaggiausersgroup.com/index.p ... =page;p=44

In the Classic, the lights still go on when the thermofuse is blown.*
In the Coffee they don't.*

That is still your best guess....

*Please note that per a soon-to-come post, I have this exactly backwards.

SJM wrote:Here are two Gaggia wiring diagrams
The first is the Classic
http://www.gaggiausersgroup.com/index.p ... =page;p=42
The second is a Coffee
http://www.gaggiausersgroup.com/index.p ... =page;p=44

In the Classic, the lights still go on when the thermofuse is blown.
In the Coffee they don't.

That is still your best guess....

I'm not a wiring expert, but by those diagrams you posted, you have it backwards. In the classic the thermofuse is the only thing in between the power source and and the rest of the circuit. Therefore if it blows, nothing goes.

Is it a GAGGIA Gaggia Classic or a Philips/Saeco Gaggia Classic? Post a photo of the insides, because I suspect that the P/S version has a circuit board inside that can create all sorts of strange outcomes.

Alan

robear92 wrote:Hello all, new to this so I apologize for any forum etiquette mistakes in advance.

One day I wake up, turn on my Gaggia Classic, and come back 15 minutes later to find that the machine has not heated at all. Sad day. I turn on the steam function and wait without luck; still no heat.

Yet, and here is the unusual part (which is why I am posting): All lights come on right when I turn on the machine (on/off, brew ready) as well as the ready light when I flip the steam switch. This points me away from the thermofuse being the culprit and makes me wonder about the obvious answer of bad thermostats because both would presumably have to go bad at the same time.

I have a vague memory of perhaps accidentally leaving the machine on with the steam switch flipped for 15-20 minutes the day before I started having this problem. So perhaps there was an issue with the boiler drying up and blowing out the heating element?

I'm planning on acquiring a multimeter to diagnose the problem but I also am unsure about how to actually use one. Any help would be appreciated.

When you finally get hold of a multimeter, let us know. Best scenario for you would be busted tstats due to leaving the steam switch on for an extended period. Worst scenario is a busted boiler heater and you need a multimeter to confirm.

Alan Frew wrote:Is it a GAGGIA Gaggia Classic or a Philips/Saeco Gaggia Classic? Post a photo of the insides, because I suspect that the P/S version has a circuit board inside that can create all sorts of strange outcomes.

Alan

Here ya go.

JojoS wrote:When you finally get hold of a multimeter, let us know. Best scenario for you would be busted tstats due to leaving the steam switch on for an extended period. Worst scenario is a busted boiler heater and you need a multimeter to confirm.

What should I be looking for with the multimeter? Resistance across terminals? Where do I place the leads to test the boiler itself?

robear92 wrote:I'm not a wiring expert, but by those diagrams you posted, you have it backwards. In the classic the thermofuse is the only thing in between the power source and and the rest of the circuit. Therefore if it blows, nothing goes.

LOL.
It's not the first time I've gotten things backwards.
Thanks for clarifying it for the OP.

Check continuity in order: Thermofuse (yellow)
Elements (1 set each side) (orange)
Thermostat (green)

Infinite resistance at any point will mean that their is no current flowing past that point.

Alan

Alan, Thanks for your guidance.

Multimeter purchased today and made short work of the troubleshooting, at least I think...Let me know if this makes sense with the wiring diagram.

Set the multimeter to continuity mode (beeps when it picks up a continuous circuit).
Tested each potential problem area individually, replacing the leads after each check.
thermofuse: beep! all good, like I thought (although cutting the cable ties to get the rubber sleeve to move far enough off of the fuse was annoying)
Right side element: good
left side element: good
Steam thermostat: NO GOOD
coffee thermostat: good

According to this wiring diagram, it seems as if once the steam thermostat blows, it will shut down the connection from the coffee thermostat to the heating elements, correct?



So in the end it looks like I'm looking at a cheap ($20) thermostat replacement?